Live Free or Die
by PhantomPenguin
Summary: The age of piracy is coming to an end, and Captain Jack Sparrow knows it. Drabble-ish.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates, nor do I own Captain Jack Sparrow. I also have no claims on the state of New Hampshire or it's licence plate slogan.**

So, this just popped into my head when my mom and I were at the store. She was telling me about the slogan on the New Hampshire licence plate, and it immediately made me think of Jack Sparrow.

I'm still not entirely sure _why_ we were talking about license plates...especially one for a state that we don't even live in...

Anyway, I like how it turned out! I always love to hear other opinions, though, so please review!

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The age of piracy is coming to an end. You'd have to be blind to not notice the changes in the world; daft though I am, I've never been blind. The episode with Beckett was only the beginning, and I'm not sure that I want to stick around for the end.

There used to be a time where a pirate could sail the waters free and unhindered, not least because the wig heads in the Navy were too scared of our fearsome personages. But now, with the likes of Beckett on the loose, pirates are disappearing. There is less mystery in the world. Anywhere I could think of to go—short of the Locker—has been filled in on a map; the blank edges are disappearing.

It's not like we've become less intelligent; the EIC and the Navy have just gotten smarter. They're everywhere nowadays, like miniscule ants that you just can't squash. And, believe me, I've tried.

Sure, Beckett went down like the pestilent little bugger that he was; emphasis on the little, by the way. He was incredibly diminutive, and resemblant of Napoleon in both height and aspiration. However, he fell short otherwise.

Even without Beckett, though, a pirate isn't free. We have nowhere to go. The world is filled to the brim with virulent opponents, poised to take down any poor rogue in their line of sight. Hard as I try, I can't just write it all away as a dream—or rather, a nightmare. If it were a dream, there'd be rum. If it were a nightmare, there'd probably be Davy Jones, and perhaps a monkey. Maybe the monkey could even have rum…but then it wouldn't be a nightmare…

Ah, well. Try as I might, I can't manage to distract myself from reality. Even women and rum don't help anymore.

Maybe I've been deluding myself the entire time; maybe I always knew that piracy would have to end. I mean, what's the point of being a pirate if it's no fun anymore? That's the entire reason I became such a dashing scoundrel.

Being a pirate means being free.

It's just me, my crew, and my ship, free among the waves. We make port when we want to, and steal from whomever we want; we leer at the gorgeous girls, and sail where wherever will.

Of course, we can hardly every make port anymore. Tortuga was shut down a while back, and it was a right mess. They arrested everyone at the port; we barely made it out alive.

Even though "Lord" Cutler Beckett and his ilk are gone, there are always more powdered cronies willing to take up where he left off, and they just don't give up. The last group chased us halfway to Aruba before they had to drop out of the chase to re-supply. However, we _did_ raid the port and relieve them of some rather tasty superfluous items. Even after victories such as that, though, the world is becoming empty to me.

It's an unusual day if I can sail without seeing another vessel. Even the Pearl holds nothing. She's mine, and she's always been mine, but I can't sail her freely. I can remember the days when it used to just be me and my ship, her prow cutting through the waves like butter.

Remembering is all I can do now.

A pirate isn't free to make his own way in the world anymore. One by one, we're being hunted down. I don't want to be the last; Barbossa, though it pains me greatly to say it, was right.

Being the last of anything is a problem. There's never a guarantee of coming back, and I think pirates are pretty close to crossing into history. I've tried to resist it; I've fought tooth and nail against every last one of them.

There are some words I thought I'd never say.

And this time, I'm not fighting to run away. There's nowhere left to run. This time, I'm fighting to survive. The Royal Navy, I'm sure, would be simply overjoyed to lead me to the noose.

However, I have no intention of allowing them that pleasure. Obviously, I can't elude them forever, but, when the day comes that they catch me, I'll be ready. There hasn't been a time when Captain Jack Sparrow willingly surrendered.

The time is coming where the fate of piracy will be decided.

If the worst happens, it will be remembered as the day that piracy died; it will always be remembered as the day that the Navy _almost_ caught Captain Jack Sparrow.

I will never be a prisoner.

I will live free, or die.

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And to think all of this was inspired by a licence plate! ...I know, I get inspiration from odd sources...review, please!


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